Strawberry plant named ‘Sonora’

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Sonora’. The present variety is similar to the varieties ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’. The present variety is fully everbearing, and is further distinguished from ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’, in particular, by its flat globose habit, strong interveinal blistering, weak leaf glossiness, rounded terminal leaflet shape of base and teeth, sparse petiole pubescence, dense to very dense stolon pubescence, a position of inflorescence above the foliage, larger calyx diameter relative to the corolla, a semi-erect attitude of the fruiting truss at first picking, predominantly conical fruit, very slight to slight differences between shapes of primary and secondary fruits, very narrow to narrow band without achenes, very weak unevenness of surface of the fruit, weak to medium glossiness of the fruit, spreading to reflexed pose of the calyx segments, even flesh color of the fruit, and absent to small hollow center size.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new variety, ‘Sonora’, originated as a result of a controlled cross between the strawberry plants ‘33×257’ and ‘L2’ (both unpatented varieties of Driscoll Strawberry Associates, Inc.) in an ongoing breeding program, and was discovered as a seedling in a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, Calif. The original seedling of the new cultivar was asexually propagated by stolons at a Nursury in McArthur, Shasta County, Calif. Propagules were transplanted to a controlled breeding plot in Monterey County, Calif., where the variety was identified and selected for further evaluation in May 1996. The new variety, ‘Sonora’, was subsequently asexually propagated and underwent further testing in the Monterey Bay area in California for five years. This propagation and testing has demonstrated that the combination of traits disclosed herein which characterize the new variety are fixed and are retained true to type through successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of strawberry named ‘Sonora’. The varierty is botanically identified as Fragaria×ananassa. The new variety is distinguished from other varieties by a number of characteristics as set forth in Tables 1-4.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR VARIETIES

The varieties that we believe to be similar to ‘Sonora’ from those known to us are ‘Commander’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,024), ‘San Juan’ (U.S. plant application Ser. No. 09/524,581), and ‘Ana Maria’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,035). There are several characteristics of the new variety that are different from, or not possessed by, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’. The new variety is fully everbearing and has a flat globose habit, strong interveinal blistering, weak leaf glossiness, rounded terminal leaflet shape of base and teeth, sparse petiole pubescence, dense to very dense stolon pubescence, a position of inflorescence above the foliage, larger calyx diameter relative to the corolla, a semi-erect attitude of the fruiting truss at first picking, predominantly conical fruit, very slight to slight differences between shapes of primary and secondary fruits, very narrow to narrow band without achenes, very weak unevenness of surface of the fruit, weak to medium glossiness of the fruit, spreading to reflexed pose of the calyx segments, even flesh color of the fruit, and absent to small hollow center size.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying photographs show typical specimens of the new variety, including fruit, foliage and flowers, in color as nearly true as reasonably possible in illustrations of this type.

FIG. 1 shows the whole plant.

FIG. 2 shows the leaves of the plant.

FIG. 3 shows the upperside and the underside of the flowers.

FIG. 4 shows a close-up view of the fruit.

FIG. 5 shows the fruit in longitudinal cross-section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following detailed description of the new variety is based upon recorded observations of plants and fruit grown in Monterey County, Calif., U.S.A. Observations of ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ were taken side-by-side comparison in 2000. This description is in accordance with terminology used by the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV). Color designations, color descriptions, and other phenotypical descriptions may deviate from the stated values and descriptions depending upon variation in environmental, seasonal, climatic and cultural conditions. Where colors are described herein, the most similar color designations are provided from The Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S) Colour Chart.

PROPAGATION

The new variety is principally propagated by way of stolons. Although propagation by stolons is presently preferred, other known methods of propagating strawberry plants may be employed.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NEW VARIETY

Information on the new variety is presented in Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4. The flowers described in the tables are secondary flowers except where indicated. The fruit described is the secondary fruit on one-year-old plants. Fruit and flower measurements are an average of both primary and secondary fruit and flowers. Additional charateristic of the fruit of ‘Sonora’ include a medium acidity, having an average titratable acidity of 1.13%, an average brix of 11.8%, and the vascular tissue in ‘Sonora’ fruit is white (155D) in color. Characteristics of the stolons are also included in the Tables. In 2001, ‘Sonora’ produced an average of 33 daughter plants per mother plant in a low-elevation nursery, while ‘San Juan’ produced an average of 61 daughters/mother plant, indicating fewer stolons were produced by ‘Sonora’. The time of first flowering of ‘Sonora’ in the Watsonville area is late February to early March.

Table 1 provides information on the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Sonora’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’. Table 2 provides additional information of the plant and fruit characteristics of the new variety ‘Sonora’ compared with characteristics of the varieties ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’. Table 3 provides the new variety's reactions to stress, pests, and diseases as compared to the varieties ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’.

In addition to morphological descriptions, the new cultivar ‘Sonora’ has been analyzed to obtain an indication of its genetic makeup to provide further means for identifying the new variety and distinguishing it from other somewhat similar and/or related strawberry varieties. Specifically, leaf samples of ‘Sonora’, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ were analyzed by electrophoresis for isozyme patterns of the enzymes phosphoglucoisomerase (PGI), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) and phosphogluomutase (PGM). See e.g., J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 106:684-687. Table 4 provides isozyme characteristics of the new variety as compared to the varieties ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’.

TABLE 1 Detailed comparison of ‘Sonora’, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ ‘Com- ‘Ana ‘Sonora’ mander’ ‘San Juan’ Maria’ Plant Characteristics Height of Plant (cm) 25.3 24.6 24.3 30.6 Spread of Plant (cm) 43.9 47.1 43.2 50.0 Number of Crowns 6.0 4.7 5.7 5.6 Leaf Characteristics Terminal Leaflet Length 6.0 7.5 7.5 8.0 Terminal Leaflet Width 6.4 7.4 7.6 8.2 (cm) Terminal Leaflet 0.92 1.02 0.99 0.98 Length/Width Ratio # Teeth/Terminal Leaflet 20.6 16.9 20.1 19.7 Color of upperside 147A 147A 147A 147A medium medium dark green medium to dark green green green Color of underside 148B 148B 148C 148B light gray light gray light gray light gray green green green green Petiole Length (cm) 18.8 20.2 21.7 21.9 Petiole Color 145A 145A 145A 145B Bract Frequency 0% 20% 60% 50% Typically Typically Typically single paired paired Stipule Length (cm) 3.1 3.1 3.8 3.4 Stipule Width (cm) 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.7 Flower Characteristics Petal Length (cm) 1.17 1.16 1.23 1.38 Petal Width (cm) 1.23 1.17 1.26 1.37 Petal Length/Width Ratio 0.95 0.99 0.98 1.01 Flower Diameter (cm) 2.99 2.94 3.05 3.40 Calyx Diameter (cm) 3.48 3.28 3.58 3.79 Flower Color 155C 155C 155D 155C Fruit Characteristics Fruit Length (cm) 4.7 4.6 4.8 4.6 Fruit Width (cm) 4.0 4.1 4.3 3.7 Fruit Length/Width Ratio 1.17 1.12 1.12 1.24 Average Berry 22.4 23.9 26.1 19.3 Weight (g) External Color 53A 45B 46A 46A dark red orange red red red Internal Color 45A 44B 44A 44B dark red orange red medium orange red red Achene Coloration 53A and 46A and 46A and 46B and 17A dark 14A dark 16A dark 16A dark red and red and red and red and yellow yellow yellow yellow Yield (g/plant) 1367 1400 1212 1327

TABLE 2 Characterisitcs of ‘Sonora’, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ ‘Sonora’ ‘Commander’ Plant Habit flat globose flat globose Density dense medium Vigor medium medium Leaf Shape in cross section concave flat Interveinal blistering strong weak Glossiness weak medium to strong Number of leaflets 3 only 3 only Terminal leaflet margin flat revolute to flat profile Terminal leaflet shape of rounded rounded base Terminal leaflet shape of rounded rounded teeth Stipule pubescence sparse medium dense Petiole pubescence sparse medium Petiole pose of hairs outward outward Stolon Number few to medium medium to many Anthocyanin coloration medium — Thickness medium — Pubescence dense to very — dense Inflorescence Position relative to foliage above level with to above Diameter of calyx relative larger same size to larger to corolla on secondary flowers Diameter of inner calyx same size same size relative to outer on secondary flowers Spacing of petals overlapping overlapping Fruiting Truss Attitude at first picking semi-erect prostrate Length (cm) 30.3 33.0 Fruit Predominant shape conical conical to bi- conical Difference in shapes very slight to slight between primary and slight secondary fruits Band without achenes very narrow to narrow to medium narrow Unevenness of surface very weak weak Evenness of color even slightly uneven Glossiness weak to medium strong Insertion of achenes below to level level with surface with surface Insertion of calyx level to in a level basin Pose of the calyx segments spreading to spreading reflexed Size of calyx in relation to same size to same size fruit on secondary fruit larger Adherence of calyx strong strong Firmness of flesh medium medium Evenness of flesh color even slightly uneven Distribution of flesh color marginal and marginal and central central Hollow center size absent to small medium Sweetness medium to medium to strong strong Texture when tasted medium medium Acidity medium medium to weak Time of Flowering medium early to medium Harvest Interval Mid-April to Mid-April to Early Early November November Type of Bearing fully partially everbearing everbearing ‘San Juan’ ‘Ana Maria’ Plant Habit globose to globose to upright flat globose Density medium open Vigor medium strong Leaf Shape in cross section flat to concave slightly convex Interveinal blistering medium to strong medium to strong Glossiness weak to medium medium weak Number of leaflets sometimes more 3 only than 3 leaflets (approx. 17% of leaves) Terminal leaflet margin revolute to flat flat profile Terminal leaflet shape of obtuse to rounded rounded to slightly base oblique Terminal leaflet shape of rounded obtuse teeth Stipule pubescence medium dense sparse Petiole pubescence medium sparse Petiole pose of hairs outward to outward downward Stolon Number medium to many medium to many Anthocyanin coloration strong strong Thickness medium medium Pubescence medium medium to dense Inflorescence Position relative to foliage beneath to level level with to above with Diameter of calyx relative larger smaller to same to corolla on secondary size flowers Diameter of inner calyx same size smaller to same relative to outer on size secondary flowers Spacing of petals overlapping overlapping Fruiting Truss Attitude at first picking prostrate semi-erect Length (cm) 28.5 33.3 Fruit Predominant shape conical to almost conical cylindical Difference in shapes moderate none to very slight between primary and secondary fruits Band without achenes narrow narrow to medium Unevenness of surface medium very weak to weak Evenness of color even even Glossiness very strong strong Insertion of achenes level with surface below to level with surface Insertion of calyx level level to set above Pose of the calyx segments spreading to spreading reflexed Size of calyx in relation to same size same size to larger fruit on secondary fruit Adherence of calyx strong weak to medium Firmness of flesh firm firm Evenness of flesh color slightly uneven to slightly uneven even Distribution of flesh color marginal and marginal and central central Hollow center size medium small Sweetness medium to strong medium to strong Texture when tasted medium medium Acidity medium medium Time of Flowering medium to late medium to late Harvest Interval Mid-April to Early Mid-April to Early November November Type of Bearing partially partially everbearing everbearing

TABLE 3 Reactions to Stress, Pests, and Diseases for ‘Sonora’, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ ‘Comm- ‘Sonora’ ander’ ‘San Juan’ ‘Ana Maria’ Reaction to Stress high pH moderately moderately moderately moderately resistant resistant resistant resistant high soil moderately moderately moderately moderately salt levels resistant resistant resistant resistant Reaction to Pests Tetranychus moderately moderately moderately moderately urticae susceptible susceptible susceptible susceptible Aphis spp. susceptible suceptible susceptible susceptible Lygus hesperus susceptible suceptible susceptible susceptible Reaction To Diseases Botrytis susceptible susceptible susceptible susceptible fruit rot Powdery susceptible moderately moderately moderately mildew resistant resistant resistant Verticillium moderately susceptible susceptible susceptible wilt resistant Strawberry moderately moderately moderately moderately Mottle resistant resistant resistant resistant Virus Xanthomonas moderately moderately moderately moderately fragariae resistant resistant resistant resistant

TABLE 4 Isozyme Analysis for ‘Sonora’, ‘Commander’, ‘San Juan’ and ‘Ana Maria’ Locus ‘Sonora’ ‘Commander’ ‘San Juan’ ‘Ana Maria’ PGI A2 A4 A2 A1 LAP B3 B3 B3 B3 PGM C4 C4 C4 C4 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of strawberry plant, substantially as shown and described. 